1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to agricultural machines such as agricultural harvesters, and, more particularly, to reside assemblies for spreading and/or chopping crop residue used with such machines.
2. Description of the Related Art
An agricultural harvester known as a “combine” is historically termed such because it combines multiple harvesting functions with a single harvesting unit, such as picking, threshing, separating, and cleaning. A combine includes a header which removes the crop from a field, and a feeder housing which transports the crop matter into a threshing rotor. The threshing rotor rotates within a perforated housing, which may be in the form of adjustable concaves, and performs a threshing operation on the crop to remove the grain. Once the grain is threshed it falls through perforations in the concaves onto a grain pan. From the grain pan the grain is cleaned using a cleaning system, and is then transported to a grain tank onboard the combine. The cleaning system includes a cleaning fan which blows air through oscillating sieves to discharge chaff and other debris toward the rear of the combine. Non-grain crop material such as straw from the threshing section proceeds through a straw chopper and out the rear of the combine. When the grain tank becomes full, the combine is positioned adjacent a vehicle into which the grain is to be unloaded, such as a semi-trailer, gravity box, straight truck, or the like; and an unloading system on the combine is actuated to transfer the grain into the vehicle.
During normal use of an agricultural machine, such as a combine, the operator will occasionally need to adjust/change the sieves, inspect chopper knives, and the like. This requires the operator to have access to the rear of the machine. To gain access to these components, a person may have to remove the spreader disks and place them aside, which leaves them open to be lost or damaged. The coupler that connects these disks fills with debris and can be difficult to remove and reinstall. Another issue with this operation is that it leaves a portion of the drive shaft for the spreader disks attached to the chassis and protruding downwardly. These shafts can make installing and removing sieves difficult.
Further, gaining access to the cleaning system on machines having rear-mounted spreaders and/or rear mounted choppers can occur in two other ways. One way provides that the residue system slides rearward some amount. This allows easy access for the operator but can still hinder changing the sieves. The other way provides for pivoting the residue package upward. While this can be automated and easily done, there is now a large amount of weight overhead.
What is needed in the art is a way to access, easily and safely, one or more assemblies, such as sieves and/or choppers, of an agricultural machine which has a rear-mounted residue assembly, such as rear-mounted spreaders and/or rear mounted choppers.